If you’ve never heard of the raw foods diet, it may sound a little frightening and off-putting — do you eat raw meat? Uncooked foods only? But that’s not really how it works. Most raw foods diets include eating fresh fruits and vegetables, along with plenty of chilled beans, sushi, and raw dairy products. It’s easy to follow, delicious to eat, and has plenty of health benefits. Be warned, though: it’s not for everyone, so proceed with caution if you’re a true carnivore! Here are 7 reasons to try the raw foods diet.

1. It’s healthful

Eating a raw foods diet will almost certainly lower your cholesterol and, since it’s low in sodium, it may also help lower high blood pressure… it’s also been shown to reduce fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis pain, and will also lower your risk of obesity and it may even drastically lower your risk of heart disease and certain cancers. Wow!

2. It’s easy

Since you’re truly only eating food that needs only be rinsed and consumed, with no recipes to follow, it’s an extremely easy diet to follow! You still need to make sure you’re consuming enough of each of the food groups, but aside from that, you can forget tough recipes, big kitchen messes, and even dirty pots and pans.

3. You won’t feel hungry

I found that when I followed a raw foods diet, I was eating small meals throughout the day, rather than two or three big meals. Because I was eating a little every couple of hours, I was never hungry! What a bonus!

4. It’s inexpensive

Think about how much money you spend on foods you have to cook. Meat, eggs, rice… even if you’re eating a healthful diet, it can be very expensive to buy and prepare all that food. If you follow the raw foods diet, you’ll spend most of your time at the grocery store in the fresh fruits and veggies section… which is a lot less expensive than buying cuts of meat and such.

5. No counting calories

If you stick to the recommended servings of each food group, you won’t end up spending long hours counting calories. This is one diet that doesn’t include a whole lot of math!

6. You’ll feel energized

Since so many of the foods you’ll be eating are high in natural fiber and loaded with antioxidants, you’ll feel very energized and happy. On a side note about energy: I allow myself one “cheat” item each day, and it’s almost always something with caffeine… which I don’t even really seem to need!

7. It’s so eco-friendly!

Did you know it takes a LOT more energy to produce meat than it does to produce plants? It also takes a lot more energy to consume and prepare cooked foods, and using less energy is very eco-friendly. So this is another check in the “win” column for the raw foods diet.

If you’re struggling with your weight, or you’re just ready to try something new, give the raw foods diet a go! It’s very liberating, and I’ve never felt healthier. Would you consider following a raw foodsdiet? Why or why not? Please share… I’d love to hear what you have to say about raw foods!